Ideas Worth Spreading

Voice 2:And I’m Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

Voice 1:What would you do if someone gave you one wish? Would you wish for a new home? A million dollars? To be a professional sports player? Well, Jamie Oliver has been given one wish.

Voice 2:Jamie Oliver has had television cooking shows. He has written cookbooks. He owns several places to eat. But he is also very concerned about getting healthy food to children. He has worked to change the meals provided by schools in the United Kingdom, where he lives. He wanted to make them healthier. He wanted to educate children about food and cooking.

Voice 1:This work is the reason he has been given one wish. Oliver is the winner of the 2010 TED prize.

Voice 2:Today’s Spotlight is on TED. TED is not a person. It is an organization. The letters stand for Technology, Entertainment, and Design.

Voice 1:TED began in 1984. It was a yearly conference. At first, it was just about technology, entertainment and design. But today, it is about all areas of study. TED’s mission is to spread good ideas, wherever they come from. The TED website states,

Voice 3:“We search year-round for people who will inform and encourage, who can surprise and please. Our speakers run the world's best-loved companies. They design its best-loved products. They invent world changing devices and create new technology. They are trusted voices and tradition breaking thinkers.”

Voice 2:Past speakers have included doctors, musicians, writers, community organizers, economists, scientists, computer developers, and investors. But these speakers cannot talk as long as they want. At a TED Conference people have only eighteen minutes. In eighteen minutes, they must give the most important talk of their life.

Voice 1:But why is it the most important talk of their life? It may be because the people who are listening are successful in their fields of study. They are doctors, business leaders, inventors, and political leaders. The room is full of people who are wealthy, both in money and knowledge. They are people who can make a real change in the world.

Voice 2:In 2002 Chris Anderson became the leader of TED. He was not happy with just the yearly conference. He wanted more. He wanted to start some new events.

Voice 1:There is now TED India, a conference that explores and celebrates the future of south Asia. There is TED Global, which addresses global issues. There is also TED Talks. These are the speeches given at the TED Conferences. Anyone can watch them for free on the Internet. These videos are translated into over seventy languages. But not only the most popular languages.

Voice 2:TED developed a set of computer programs that permit people all around the world to translate their favorite talks into their own language. This means that speakers of less popular languages have an equal chance to spread ideas in their communities. TED has changed a lot since it began. The TED website reads:

Voice 3:“Today, TED is best thought of as a global community. It is a community from every area of study and culture. Members of this community have just two things in common. First, they seek a deeper understanding of the world. Second, they hope to turn that understanding into a better future for us all.”